The Office of the Clerk

The
position of Clerk of the House of Representatives is one of the oldest
public offices in New Zealand. It dates from 1854 when Parliament met
for the first time.

The Clerk of the House heads an Office of State, the Office of the
Clerk, which received statutory recognition in 1988. The Clerk is responsible
to the Speaker for the Office.

The Clerk and the staff of the Office provide constitutional support
for the operation of Parliament and its committees. They give expert
advice on parliamentary procedures, make administrative arrangements
for meetings of the House and committees, and arrange for information
on parliamentary activity to be printed and published.

The Office of the Clerk provides a number of services.
Chamber services provide support for meetings of the House itself.
They examine and process the petitions, documents and questions
presented to the House, arrange the publication of information about
the business
before Parliament, and help Members draft bills and amendments.

Hansard services make a full report of Members' speeches in the
House and at some select committees. Speeches are subject to limited
editing
to remove obvious errors and repetitions and to ensure that a
reader can understand the references that members make in their speeches.

Select committee services make arrangements for the meetings of
most select committees, including advertising for and receiving
submissions,
organising hearings of evidence, contracting specialist advisers,
providing advice, conducting research, and drafting and publishing
reports.

Legislative counsel provide drafting, legal and policy services
to Members and the Clerk.

Broadcasting services ensure that proceedings of the House
are available through the public broadcasting network.

Interpretation services provide a facility for the immediate
interpretation of Māori spoken in debates in the House.

Internet services maintain the parliamentary website
(www.parliament.govt.nz), providing access to parliamentary
papers and publications, as well as to a calendar of
parliamentary sitting
days,
and information about select committee hearings and
dates.

Corporate services provide administrative and financial
support for the Office.